


Nixie of the Mill Pond

by Scientia (PhilipJFry)



Category: Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Blood and Injury, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon-Typical Violence, Corruption, Curse Breaking, Fade to Black, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fairy Tale Style, Forbidden Love, Hurt/Comfort, Ifrit deserves a hug, Ignis is a hunter, Implied/Referenced Sex, Injury Recovery, Lunafreya is just kind of there but we love her, M/M, Ravus gets mauled by a bear, Ravus is also a hunter, Romance, Shiva is not evil, Slow Burn, Tragedy, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:33:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28699233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhilipJFry/pseuds/Scientia
Summary: Ignis gave up his sheltered life to become a man of his own. Through trials and hardship, he learns what it is to be brave and selfless. Finding a fellow hunter in the woods, they become closer and closer through their struggles. Discovering that Ravus has lost something precious to him, Ignis makes the decision to help. With everything they have in their power, Ignis and Ravus work to break the ice witch's curse and get back what he lost and bring the forest back to normal.
Relationships: Ifrit/Shiva (Final Fantasy XV), Ravus Nox Fleuret/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the Ravus x Ignis mini bang... Hoo boy! What a trip!
> 
> This piece is long and cannot actually be broken up into different chapters. The whole thing is just 16k. I'm sorry.
> 
> I will be posting art for this story once I get it! It'll be the second chapter! Worry not, there is nothing missing from the story, it is completely done!
> 
> A big thank you to Dask (@howgayisdask on twitter) for putting this together and letting me a part of it, as well as a HUUUUGE thank you to my artist, Crow (@crowrynart on twitter) for illustrating pieces of this. I've been sitting on this for a while and it was so much fun to create and I'm glad I got the chance to make it and work in a group for it.
> 
> As for the original story, I based it off of Nixie of the Mill Pond. It actually had a relatively happy ending, but I decided to improvise along the way... Hehe.
> 
> Enjoy!! This has been a long work in progress and I'm glad it's finally finished!

His childhood was boring. He was sheltered. For his whole life, he had looked outside from his room.

_You will have anything you could ever ask for!_

His father told him that every day. And every day, Ignis asked if he could go outside. If he could leave the property. If he could explore the forest and play in the pond. Every day, he was told no.

_That is no place for a young boy of a noble! The forest is full of terrors and the pond is home to a witch!_

When he was younger, Ignis believed it. He believed every word his father told him. Though he climbed the tree in the yard, he never ventured over the gates or out of their home. He wondered why they lived so close to such a cursed pond if that were true. As he got older, Ignis believed it less and less. His father’s pleas became more outrageous and pathetic, begging for him to stay. And he did. Ignis stayed, climbing his tree and looking over the fence to the forest. He watched day in and day out as animals came through. They were so carefree. They teased him as they went into the forest, never to be seen again.

He longed to see the birds in the forest and the deer running through the grass. He craved an escape and a high that would lift him above the clouds into a place without worry. He wanted to be more than just a noble’s son, fated to remain indoors and locked in a gilded cage. His tree was his only gate to the outside and it wasn’t enough. And so he built his skills, slowly and surely, to become an avid hunter and to escape his privileged life. He mastered a bow, crafting one with his own hands from the tree in his yard. His father had come home to find the tree cut and carved.

“My dearest son, how could you have done this?!” He cried, looking upon the shreds and splinters of wood. “This tree was a part of our land for a hundred years before us!”

Ignis looked upon his father with a sorrowful face, his bow in hand.

“I cannot live this life anymore, you see,” he said, nestling up the arrows upon his workbench. “I am neither a bird nor a prized pony. I cannot live in this cage or this pasture and nowhere else. I long to graze and to fly, I wish to explore and be my own. You have clipped my wings and cut my tail but I shall not remain a moment longer. It is time I go on my way.”

His father could only weep, his tears doing nothing to persuade his only son from leaving.

“My boy, my boy! What can I do to fix this? To whom must I pray to keep you here? What may I do to make this a home just for you?” He wept and begged, sitting on his knees before Ignis. “Do not leave such a frail old man alone for the rest of his days!”

Ignis remained tall, arrows in his quiver and bow in its holdings.

“I am sorry, Father, but I cannot stay. A gilded cage is still a cage. You have taught me to be strong, but to be cautious. You have taught me to always be curious, but never adventurous. I cannot stay and live in this jail. I want to live and experience life before I am too old to see what roads lie before me.”

He took his leave, his father weeping and begging all the while.

 _“My life is my own,”_ he thought as he left, taking his steed with him. He would never look back again, keeping his bow close and eyes forward.

* * *

The days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months, until it had been years since Ignis had left home. He had ventured deep into the forests and prospered far better than anyone could have foreseen. His hunts were grand, his kills clean and his dressings flawless. He cared for the injured animals in his wake and spared the sickly or newborn, taking only the ones that posed a challenge. He was merciful in his kills, delivering death swiftly as he could. His arrows never dulled and his bow never bent, a magically perfect craft even after the years had passed. The freedom that came with his new life was incredible.

Every day he could do as he pleased. He hunted, he slept, he explored. The forest was vast even after dwelling there for years. He thought he had seen it all until he had stumbled upon a house. It was covered in ivy and greenery, its original wood all but hidden. Curiosity taking over, Ignis decided to look at it. Approaching the home, he checked in one of the windows. It appeared lived in, a simple bed that had recently been laid in. The fire in the hearth had been gently stoked, the embers slowly fading away from negligence. Deciding to not push his luck, Ignis turned away. Before he could move further, an arrow shot past him into the edge of the window.

“Halt! Take another step, and it will be your last!”

Ignis didn’t move, hands up in a display of peace. He searched the trees with his eyes for his assailant, a sneaking suspicion he was the owner of the home he had stumbled upon.

“Tell me your name and intentions and you just may have another breath!” He heard the nocking of another arrow.

“I mean no harm nor trouble! I am simply a hunter in the woods!” Ignis spoke, finally finding his voice. “I did not expect another human out here! I have been about for years and had not yet met a soul that was neither furry nor feathered.”

He must have satisfied the other man, as he came down then from his tree with a graceful leap. For a moment, Ignis believed he was looking upon an angel. The man’s hair was white as snow, clothes nearly as crisp. His eyes were as blue as the sky and his skin clear. There was an innate beauty in how he moved, walking towards Ignis as if he were dancing. As he got closer, Ignis realized his eyes were different. One was violet, as soft and pale as the flowers blooming in the spring. He came up close to Ignis, only to pull the arrow out of his house.

“Best you be on your way then, little pigeon. These woods do not favour the naïve or soft.” He turned to the door of his home and stepped inside. “Mind the waters as you go, lest you learn the hard way.”

Ignis hesitated, remembering the words his father told him.

“Hold, sir! Might I ask you a question before I am on my way?”

“Be quick.”

“Forgive me, should this be childish, but… is there a witch of the pond?”

The pale hunter didn’t answer him for a moment. His fingers gripped the door tightly, turning as white as his clothes.

“There are things worse than a wicked witch of the water.”

He closed the door and didn’t make another sound.

* * *

Ignis hadn’t been able to get the pale hunter’s words out of his mind. Weeks had passed since his fated encounter and he couldn’t leave it be. Had his father told the truth the whole time? Or had he perhaps seen something more sinister? It left him struggling internally. He had tried again and again to work through each day, trying to grasp what he had been told. A witch of the pond. _Some things are worse than that…_

He had to find that pond. He just had to. Whether there was a witch or a monster, he would discover the truth one way or another.

Ignis quickly gathered his things and set out in search of his destination . With his trusted bow on his back, he felt he had little to fear. It never bent and his arrows never broke. He placed his trust and faith in his crafts, time and time again proving their worth. His hunts had been aided more times than he could count. He hoped they would stay as strong as they had always been.

He began the trek back to the pale hunter’s home. If there was a creature in the pond, surely he would know what it was. He thought more of the cryptic warning. Perhaps the pale hunter had made contact with the pond before… Had he lost something to its depths? Had a creature stolen a prized possession from him?

Ignis thought about his eyes. They had been unnaturally touched. Was the pale hunter cursed? Or perhaps marked for something else? Was it a reminder? _Was it a bargain?_

He found the hunter’s home far quicker than he expected. He thought it would have been a longer trip. Ignis had been drawn there and remained in the area this whole time... Peering through the windows of the familiar home, it was empty. The fire unstoked, logs blackened and cold. How long had it been since the pale hunter had been here?

He looked at the ivy on the side of the house. It was brown now, dry. Decaying. He stepped away from the house and started back into the woods. The pale hunter had to be somewhere. Given the state of his home, Ignis believed he was in trouble.

His search was fruitless, the area around him completely devoid of life save for trees and shrubs. A whisper in the back of his head told him to find the pond. Another part of him cursed himself for not having checked there first. With all the speed his legs would give, Ignis went back to the pale hunter’s home. He went inside, searching up and down to find any kind of indication of where he could have been. The mysterious pond he spoke of… the witch hiding in it… what was truly there?

Searching through a chest near the end of the hunter’s bed, he found it to be filled with what seemed to be trinkets and old books, along with a small hand mirror of silver that had been wrapped in a silk scarf, with what appeared to be blonde locks looped around the frame. Not wanting to disturb anything more than he already had, Ignis gingerly set it down on the foot of the bed. Taking more care as he sifted through the books and loose pages of notes, his desperation grew. Had he simply left the hunter for dead that day?

Among all the books and pages, Ignis found a simple journal. He began to flip through it, searching the pages for any hints.

_Day 23. Lunafreya and I are finally safe. She had met a woman who promised us protection in exchange for three strands of her hair and a vial of my blood. I did not trust her, nor did I wish to do as she asked, but for Luna’s sake, I followed through. I gave her a vial of deer blood and she seemed none the wiser._

_She gave me an axe and seeds, telling me to chop a single tree and nothing more. The seeds are to go on the wood after I have cut down the tree. She gave Lunafreya a mirror, telling her to keep it only in humility. She is not to primp nor preen._

_As foolish as this woman is, we will do as she asks. Our choices have run dry. We have found the tree I will cut and cover in seeds. I would be dishonest if I said I wasn’t curious. I am unsure what our outcome will be, but anything is better than where we were. Lunafreya will not last much longer without protection and I have not the heart to bury her._

_Day 25. From the wood and seeds came a cabin. It is small, but it has all that we could need. The sides are covered with ivy and vines, keeping it hidden from a wandering eye. There is a bed inside, large enough for the both of us, as well as a chest for our belongings. While we don’t have much, it seems to have just enough room for everything. I do not understand the magic this witch had used on us, nor the price it comes with, but I have not given her anything from me. I worry for Luna’s sake. She has given the witch her hair… I know not what could happen from it, but I will prepare._

_The chest also holds a bow. I have yet to use it. I will not allow her to put a spell or a curse on me. I am going to search for a way to free Luna, just in case._

Ignis was tempted to close the book, unsettled with himself for searching the pale hunter’s personal writings. Outside the sky grew darker, the wind and fallen leaves picking up around the cabin. Even so, he was compelled to read more. He skimmed more pages, feeling in his bones that he was getting closer to the answer.

_Day 210. Luna has gone missing. I have searched high and low. The witch pointed me to the pond. All I could retrieve of her was her scarf. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her… I gave up everything for her, and now she’s gone. My heart feels so empty without her. My dearest sister, I have failed you. I could not protect you in our home, I could not protect you from our hunters, and I could not protect you from this witch. She has taken you from me and now I feel no reason to live._

_Day 237. I have begun to use the bow from the witch. I feel a new life inside me. I have been marked after using it. One of my eyes… It has changed. I find myself seeing better at night with it. I do not know whether this is a curse or a blessing. I have found a new resolve to find Luna. I will free her from the witch’s grasp, even if I must die to do so. I will stop at nothing to get her back._

_Lunafreya, please find it in yourself to forgive your foolish brother. The world itself has felt darker without you. I will bring you home again._

Ignis gently closed the journal, setting it back in the chest. If the witch had stolen the girl, then there was a chance she was still alive. He wasn’t sure how long she had been gone, but a part of him was sure she still had to be alive.

Outside, the crunch of leaves caught his attention. Twigs snapping, heavy breathing...

Ignis hoisted himself to his feet, his bow finding itself in his hands. Reaching for an arrow from his quiver, he angled himself by the door. Were it the pale hunter, he would accept whatever came from it. Were it someone, or perhaps _something_ else, however…

The door swung open, followed by ragged breaths. The pale hunter had returned. Bloody, broken, and bruised. He gasped and wheezed, his clothes torn as he tried to drag himself inside. One arm hung limply at his side, bleeding more than the rest of his injuries combined. Ignis quickly tossed his bow aside, rushing to the man before he collapsed.

“L...Little pigeon… You have come back.”

“I did, indeed… And I’m going to help you.”

Guiding the pale hunter to his bed, Ignis began to clean and dress his wounds.

“What happened to you?” he asked as the hunter let out a hiss.

“A bear, the size of an inn, if you’ll believe me! He had eyes of fire and claws of the sharpest steel! I don’t know where it came from but I know where it hides! Only the deepest pits of Hell could create such a wretched thing!” the hunter proclaimed, gripping his sheets with white-knuckled fingers. The pain seared in his wounds, feeling as if every part of him was aflame. He throbbed and ached, blood seeping through the bandages Ignis had just barely gotten wrapped around him. Unfurling his good hand, he tried to apply pressure to one of the spots on his chest while the other began to dig through his supplies, trying to attend to his injured arm.

Ignis gathered what he could to finish treating the pale hunter, finally getting his bleeding under control.

“Where has this bear gone?”

“He gave me a swipe and then left me for dead. I only remember him going towards the pond. If there is anywhere that can hide him, it is there.”

Ignis had started a fire in the nearby fireplace, gently stoking the logs in an attempt to warm up the cabin. The pale hunter watched him through tired eyes, trying to will himself to remain awake. Once the fire appeared strong enough to be left alone, Ignis took a seat beside the hunter.

“You never told me your name, little pigeon. You stated your innocence and then left me.”

“Ignis… Formerly of House Scientia. I left that life long ago. I am now just simply a man of the woods and would prefer to stay as such.”

The pale hunter let out a quiet and strangled laugh.

“A man of the woods will put you where I am now, pigeon.” He didn’t have it in himself to sit up, much as he tried to. “Ravus... Formerly Nox Fleuret. Now a man on the run and marked by a witch of the pond. How interestingly life decides to deal cards, no?”

Ignis soaked a rag with his canteen, wringing it out carefully before he started to gently scrub at Ravus’s face. Sweat, dirt, and blood revealed his pale face underneath.

“I read your journal when I came back here… I was in search of the pond and the witch you mentioned and I had found nothing. I thought you might have had some answers for me,” he hummed, carefully cleaning the skin. “It seems this witch has had her fingers in many pies, My father told me stories of her when I was young to keep me at home. I had never left our estate until… well, until I came into the woods myself. He told me to be wary. That the witch is waiting for her moment to strike.”

Ravus found himself drifting between consciousness and sleep, listening as Ignis recounted his own information.

“Then you must know,” he muttered, waving Ignis’s hand off, “that I need to get my sister back. Or at least... whatever is left of her. I do not know what that she-devil has done to her. I’m not sure I can bear to learn the details. But she is in that mess because of me… it has been a month since the witch had taken her now. I fear it will be longer still before I can get her back.”

There was a moment of silence between the hunters, the crackling fire the only noise in the cabin. Ignis furled his fingers in the wet rag, trying to fend off his nerves .

“I will help you get your sister back. If things are as you say, you cannot do this alone,” he said reassuringly. He wasn’t positive if it was for himself or for Ravus. The other could only let out a laugh.

“Pigeon, you think _you_ could take on the witch of the pond? She sent a bear after me and nearly put an end to my life! I am going to lose this arm by the time this is over! I could never ask another to bear a burden as great as— ”

“You did not ask me,” Ignis interjected. “I decided it myself. As you said, you will most likely lose that arm. All the more reason to have another with you. We will train and hone our skills to be sharper than ever, and neither bear nor mouse will sneak up on us when we face that witch.”

Ravus pursed his lips, glancing at his mangled limb and then back at Ignis.

“I will not ask you to remain any longer than you wish,” he settled on, apparently realizing that his options were slim and that Ignis wasn’t going away. Ignis just smiled at him.

“Rest up, we have a long road ahead.”

* * *

Days and weeks once again became months. The summer in the forest turned to autumn, leaves browning and crisping before falling to the ground. The smaller critters hid in their dens as the days grew shorter and colder, preparing for the oncoming winter. Ravus had recovered, though his arm had been lost to his injuries. Unwilling to lose it completely, he opted to keep it braced. In the time of his recovery, he had grown stronger and adapted. His arm was never going to get better, but he had learned to work with it, accepting he would never hold a bow again and instead finding solace in the spear that Ignis had crafted for him. It was sturdy and sharp, never failing to make a clean kill. It had become an extension of himself, so much so that he hardly missed the use of his other arm.

Holding the spear in hand as he carefully balanced himself in the branches above the ground, Ravus’s gaze turned towards Ignis. He was still agile, perhaps even more so. He moved with as much grace and silence as a deer, never straying or slipping from his path. His kills were cleaner now than ever, and he never once wasted an arrow. It amazed Ravus to see him use the same arrows time after time without a break or bend or splinter.

So many things about Ignis amazed him.

Leaves rustling to their left, both hunters looked in the direction of the sound. Ravus whisked himself to another branch, stepping lightly and gracefully to keep it from breaking under his weight as Ignis neared the sound on foot below. Ravus looked at the brush from above, seeing nothing. It was either fast, or a very small creature. Ignis let out a whistle like a bird, urging him to come down.

Without another sound, Ravus touched the forest floor. Spear in hand, he looked over the bush as he came to Ignis’s side.

“Did you find something interesting, little pigeon?” he hummed.

“Look between the trees and tell me yourself,” Ignis replied, motioning between the thick trunks.

Ravus peered through the branches and saw a large, furry behind. It was the bear that had laid him out so many months ago, but something seemed off.

“What do you want to do?” Ignis asked, his voice low as they watched the bear. Ravus noted that it seemed to be limping, taking smaller strides as it tried to find a hole to recover in.

“Let us follow it, but be wary… it could swipe at any time,” he murmured back, starting to go after it. Ignis followed suit, keeping his bow ready. They tracked the bear as it wandered through the woods, taking note of the bloody prints it left every so often.

“What do you think happened?” Ignis whispered, in awe that such a creature could have been injured so greatly. Ravus pursed his lips, looking between the prints and the bear.

“If it was great enough to do this, we must be _very_ careful. There is no telling what could have done this, or what it could do to us.”

They trailed it deeper into the forest, everything around them growing darker and more crisp. The sky became less and less visible the further they went, and the wind picked up around them. Ignis felt the air get more foul, the smell of rot and decay pervading around him. When it became too much, he covered his face.

“Do you smell that?” he choked, watching as Ravus brought his arm up to cover himself.

“I do. That means we must be getting close to something.”

Through teary eyes and disgusted breaths, they went further. The bear had disappeared from their sights, but the blood trail remained. It came to a head through gnarled trees and dead stumps, sunlight dissipated to the point it looked as if it were midnight. Ravus motioned for Ignis to move closer. They silently prepared themselves, weapons ready for anything. Ravus’s grip on his spear was steady as they approached what looked to be a nest of sorts. The trees around them had fallen, decayed, and rotted. Twigs and muddy leaves were set in a circle, creating a small bed for anything that dared to lay in such a foul place. It looked more like where creatures came to die rather than to find any semblance of rest.

They split apart, each circling a different side of the nest. The ground near it was depressed, the bear having passed through. Ignis stepped as lightly as he could, trying to disturb the ground as little as possible. A soft _squelch_ under his boot pulled his attention. Carefully pulling his foot out of what he thought was mud, he noted that it was far too sticky to be any kind of mud he had seen. It was thick and black, tar-like, and he tried to inspect it without getting too close. Ravus had gone further to explore, equally careful to not disturb anything.

Reaching for a stick on the ground, Ignis poked at the black sludge he had stepped in. The imprint of his boot was gone, completely filled in by it. Poking the stick into the sludge and pulling it back, it reminded him of a slug. Unlike a slug, it didn’t seem alive. Looking towards Ravus, Ignis saw that he had gone further away, nearly out of sight.

 _”So much for staying close…”_ he hummed in his head, inspecting the goo further. It clung to the wood and didn’t drip. He couldn’t put his finger on why it seemed so enthralling. Finally giving up, he tossed the stick aside and quickly followed after Ravus.

Ravus had found the bear. The creature let out a strangled choke as if it were a cat choking on a hairball, hacking up what seemed to be bile and twigs. Its wounds oozed blood, and as Ignis came close, he noted they also had the same black ooze he had stepped in just moments before.

“I think we should leave,” he murmured, gripping Ravus’s sleeve. Ravus didn’t budge.

“And leave this beast here to cause more pain?” he barked softly, gripping his spear tighter.

“Look at him! He’s going to be taken from his wounds in a matter of moments! There is no point in trying to get revenge. And as you said earlier, if something had done _this_ to the bear, what then would it do to us? The most you could do is put it out of its misery, but you will not get the feeling you came here for!”

Ravus growled and wrested his arm from Ignis’ grasp. He approached the bear, watching as it heaved and vomited the sludge. It looked up at Ravus with beady and clouded eyes, miserable rather than angered. It coughed up more sludge, Ravus stepping back just barely in time to avoid it. The bear whined in pain as more oozed from its wounds. Its fur was matted, bald patches plain on its belly, and Ravus noted how thin it truly looked. This was no predator.

He looked away as he jammed the spear tip into the bear’s heart. It whined in pain for a moment before collapsing. All traces of life left it in a single moment.

“Let us leave this place.”

* * *

By the time they had left the deeper part of the forest, the moon had risen. Time had seemed to move differently in the sickened woods. Ignis was grateful for the fresh and pure air. Ravus had been silent the whole way back. His spear had traces of the sludge from the bear on it, the tip black and sticky.

“Pigeon,” he murmured, breaking the silence that had been for so long. Ignis caught his gaze and couldn’t help but to think of how empyrean he looked under the moon. Though his eyes were sad, he looked relieved. His heart seemed lighter than it had been when they were in the sick woods.

“I have been thinking… The whole way back, really.” Ravus suddenly felt small. He was sitting in the palm of Ignis’s hand, as delicate as a mouse and at his mercy. Ignis came close, his fingers fidgeting against his bow. He had a similar feeling beginning to grow.

“You have stayed by my side longer than you’ve needed to. And you’ve kept me on my path, even though that is not for you to do… And I must ask you: _why?_ Why are you doing this? Following me could very well mean following your death.”

Ignis took a pause at the question. Why was he following Ravus?

It was the right thing to do.

It was something that gave him a purpose.

It was…

It made him feel whole.

Ignis found it difficult to put his eyes on Ravus. Why was he following him?

“I’m here because this is the most I have felt alive in all my years. I was living in what felt like a cage for most of my life… being in the woods gave me freedom, but not a purpose. Finding you… it.. changed something.”

Flexing nervous fingers, Ignis looked up at him. His cheeks were flushed, unable to deny the feelings he felt bubbling up inside.

“I’m following you because our paths crossed for a reason and… I… would like them to stay together.”

Ravus’s face nearly mirrored Ignis’s expression. His own face was red, getting redder by the moment. Every beat of his heart hit his ribs with such strength he thought it might burst from his chest. Lodging the tip of his spear into the ground, he took a step closer to Ignis. Both hunters radiated heat, only getting hotter the closer they came to each other. Ignis flexed his fingers, trying to keep his nerves at bay.

“Pige… _Ignis._ ”

Ravus let out a soft breath, his lips just barely brushing over the other’s. Unclenching his fingers, he hesitated to brush his thumb over Ignis’s face, Following the small scar on his lip up to his cheek. Ignis’s eyes fluttered close at the touch, Ravus’s fingertips like water washing over him. His own caution showed as he shakily set his hands against the other’s hips, fingers furling into Ravus’s coat. He was content to be at the mercy of whatever Ravus wanted, finding himself craving his touch and care.

Gently brushing their lips together, Ravus stole a gasp from Ignis. It turned into a sweet sigh, Ignis’s hold on his hips suddenly growing confident as he held him firmly. They broke apart after a moment, foreheads pressed together. Ignis could feel the heat radiating off of Ravus, his entire body like a flame under his touch.

“I was hoping you would do that,” Ignis hummed, letting go of his hips and instead running his thumb against Ravus’s lip. He felt Ravus smile against his fingertip.

“Pigeon, since that night you patched me up… I have wanted this,” he whispered back.

They let go of each other, Ravus taking his spear from the ground. The sludge that had been there was gone, buried into the small hole in the ground it made when he jabbed the tip into it. Their cabin was not far, and their walk there seemed to go by far quicker than it ever had before.

Weapons tossed down with reckless abandon, the pair were locked by the mouth the moment they set foot inside. The fire they left had long since gone out, only the smallest embers remaining on the blackened logs. Ravus fell back into their bed as Ignis climbed on top of him, straddling his waist and keeping his palms on his shoulders, both for balance and to keep him pinned down.

“What are you going to do with me now that I am at your mercy, little pigeon?” The smirk on his face as he laid there against the pillows made Ignis flush. The hand wandering his arm, chilled fingertips dragging inside his wrist sent a shiver down his spine. Swallowing, Ignis put more pressure in his palms against Ravus, adjusting his legs to sit comfortably on either side of him.

“I think I’m going to make you mine.”

Leaning down, he pressed a rough kiss against Ravus’s lips. He let his arms frame his head, getting closer and more comfortable atop the other. Humming against his lips, he felt Ravus’s palm slide up to his shoulders before pulling him even closer. Lips parting, their warm breaths were felt on each other’s faces.

“I’m already yours,” Ravus murmured, fingertips curling in the ends of Ignis’s hair. Neither moved for a moment, eyes simply wandering over each other’s faces. Ignis held his breath as he looked at the man under him. Every curve of his face was like he was made of marble, sculpted by only the finest hands an artist could use. His nose was in the perfect center of his face, his eyes were evenly spaced and breathtaking shades of blue and lavender, his pale and snowy hair framed his face and his thin cheeks. His jaw looked sharp but welcoming. He had been keeping it clenched for so long, he looked like a different person entirely now that he was relaxed. He looked to be so full of hope… so different from the day Ignis had first met him.

That day he had been so broken, so lost. Ready to give up. And then again when he came home, mutilated and destroyed, without a single shred of hope in him.

Exhaling softly, Ignis pressed their lips together again. His heart was so full, feeling the content sighs from Ravus against his tongue. Their hearts beat in sync, their breaths even. It may as well have been the first night of the rest of their lives. Ravus’s fingers teased against the end of Ignis’s hair, pulling his attention for just a moment.

“Have I left you speechless, pigeon?” His voice didn’t carry above a whisper, like it was a secret for only the two of them to keep. Ignis kissed him again.

“Not one bit.”

* * *

Winter had come, and the forest had grown more empty. The animals that usually ventured through their path had all dispersed for the season. It was difficult to find even a deer for their meals. They struggled, trying to keep themselves warm in the cabin above all else. Ravus soon found himself wracked with fever, unable to even leave their bed. It left Ignis with an added burden.

“Should I pass from this,” Ravus began as he waved Ignis’s hand away from his face, “do not let the masses know it was but a fever that did me in… tell them it was indeed the bear.”

Ignis rolled his eyes, holding Ravus’s hand down as he wiped the cold rag over his sweaty forehead.

“Do not speak in such a way. You will be fine in just a few more days… besides, it is not as if I have anyone to tell of such a blunder. Allow me to yell it to the birds and sleeping squirrels if that is what you want.”

Tossing the rag aside, he couldn’t help but feel worry encroaching in his heart. Just when they were getting close… another setback. It was as if they were not meant to succeed, Lunafreya lost to the witch forever. Ravus could tell from his expression that he was struggling.

“Pigeon… What are you thinking?”

He couldn’t hide his worry or his fears, every thought in his head circling back to what they would do. Their food dwindled. Their options ran slim. Ravus was ill. Taking a deep breath, he tried to clear his mind.

“I am going to leave you and go hunting. I will return by dark.”

Ravus couldn’t do much to protest, watching as Ignis gathered up his bow and coat. Truly, all he could do was lay there and rest while awaiting him to return at nightfall.

“Pigeon,” he hummed before Ignis left. He turned towards Ravus, palm against the door frame. The fireplace illuminated both of their faces, flickering orange light dancing across their cheeks. Ravus suddenly felt small as he looked upon him, at the mercy of fate once again. Ignis offered a soft smile, silently encouraging him to take his time to say what he wanted.

“…Be safe out there.”

Ravus’s voice was barely a whisper. Ignis let out a soft chuckle.

“I always am.”

Ignis left him then, the cold air of the outside entering the cabin for the few short moments he had the door open to leave. Ravus cursed internally, pulling his blankets and furs closer as it sent a chill through his teeth. As hot as he had been, he didn’t appreciate the freezing air, either. Once he had settled, he looked towards the window. The sun was still high, but for how much longer remained to be seen. With the nights longer, he was sure it would come down soon enough.

_”Pigeon…”_

“Mmm?”

“If I die…”

“You will not die here.”

“No... please, listen to me. If I die… do not follow this thread any further. I will not have anyone else involved in saving my sister. If I have failed her… perhaps she is better off wherever she is now. Do not burden yourself with my failures. Give me your word, so that I might rest as peacefully as I am allowed.”

“You will not get my word, nor will you get such an early grave while I am at your side.”

When the bear had left him for dead, Ravus wasn’t sure he would have survived. Even days after Ignis had tended to him, that had become their regular conversation. Fingers curled around the soft blanket as he pulled it closer to him. There was more hope in his heart now than there ever had been. Closing his eyes as the sun moved slowly across the sky, he fell into a light sleep.

* * *

Ignis ventured through the frozen trees, making careful work of what tracks he brought with him through the snow. He found scattered prints of other animals, though they appeared to be far smaller than he would have liked. Even so, he was not going to give up until he had caught _something_ to bring home. Following the few fresh tracks he could find, he went deeper into the frozen woods. The sun moved slowly, but he knew time moved differently when they weren’t in the cabin. At least, it always seemed that way. He made sure to be aware of his tracks, avoiding taking any winding twists and turns.

Following the tree line deeper into the woods, he was silent as he saw a deer in the distance, stopping for water in one of the few non-frozen bodies available.

Nocking an arrow, he watched carefully. Everything around him was quiet, no breeze to carry his scent, nor bird chirping above. Holding his breath, Ignis aimed as slowly and carefully as he could. He didn’t alert the beast as he stood there, waiting for the right moment. The deer raised its head and he let go of the arrow. A moment later, it was dead on the ground. Traversing carefully over the water and rocks, Ignis inspected his kill. Clean, as always. Pulling his arrow free from the corpse, he noted some black spots on the deer’s muzzle. Looking closer, he saw that it was the sludge that had been infecting the bear and the sick forest. Frustration overcame him. Wasting a life, not being able to find anything else for him and Ravus, the despair of a harsh winter… he felt lost.

“Do not give up, young hunter.”

A soft voice whispered in his ear, the words sounding like they were in his thoughts. As if whoever spoke was in his head. He gripped the arrow he pulled from the deer tightly, remaining still as stone. Energy surged behind him, the ground growing colder and colder. His fingers were covered in frost as if he had been out in freshly fallen snow. He felt the chill in his bones, his entire body trembling. It was as if he was made of ice.

“I have a proposition for you.”

The dangerously sweet whisper came into his ears again, coaxing him to stand up. He shivered, his breath escaping in thicker clouds as the frigid air got more intense. His fingers were numb, frozen in place as he gripped the arrow he had yet to put away. His other hand held his bow, that hand also frozen in its grip. Swallowing thickly, Ignis turned towards the voice. A woman dressed in black, eyes closed, and a soft face was before him. Her hands were folded in front of her and she appeared untouched and unbothered by the snow. There were no footprints, there hadn’t been a sound, and she appeared to be standing on top of it, as if she were weightless. His hands shook, unable to find any kind of stillness between his nerves and the cold.

The woman took a step forward, leaving no imprints in the snow. Ignis felt his heart drop.

_This is the witch of the pond!_

Her hands unfolded from in front of her. Kissing her fingertip, she brushed her finger along his frosted lip. Ignis suddenly felt warm. The frost over his body melted away, but he was dry. The chill had left him and he felt himself getting control of his body again. He didn’t tremble and shake, nor did he feel as if he was on death’s door. He held tight to his bow and arrow still, waiting to see what she would do next.

“Do not fear me, young hunter. I do not wish to harm you. In fact, I am here to ask for your help.” Her eyes opened as she took her hand off his face. He was cautious to meet her gaze but did so. Her eyes were dark as night and shaped like almonds. He had never seen anyone that looked like her before. Her features, while soft, seemed otherworldly. Sheathing his arrow and bow, he crossed his arms over his chest.

“That depends,” he started, keeping his tone neutral and his word choice deliberate. “What are you going to ask of me and what will you do for me as thanks?”

The woman tilted her head, a coy smile playing her features. “You are wise, Ignis Scientia.”

He swallowed again, keeping his face as stony as possible.

“I know who you are. Your father promised you to me many years ago for wealth. He would not allow me to have you. I allowed it… I could have taken you at any time. Even now, I have allowed it as you have traipsed through the woods all these years, stepping into river and pond and lake with reckless abandon.”

The truth in her words made him feel as if the cold had come back into him. He felt like ice was making a home in his chest, his heart freezing in place against his ribs. He flexed his fingers, regretting putting his bow away. The witch’s face softened as he grew more tense.

“I waited because I needed your help. Your future… I had seen it from the day I met your father. You would be the one I have waited for.” Her hands fell to her sides. “The sickness in this forest cannot be cured with my magic alone. It is… it is my fault. My love, my Ifrit. He has grown corrupted and I could not stop it. But you, Ignis, can save him. Your heart and skill could just save us.”

He felt the truth there, as well. Her pleas were genuine, he could tell that much.

“And what do you offer in return for my help?” he asked again. The witch moved so gracefully he hadn’t noticed that she was close until her palms rested on his face. She seemed to pulsate warmth into him as she captured his gaze. He couldn’t look away from her even if he tried, locked into the deep, dark, pools of tar that were her eyes.

“Should you do what I have asked, you will get whatever I can provide within my power. No tricks, no deceit. Your wishes will be met.” The witch moved closer, her lips daring to brush over his. Ignis managed to find his nerve, setting his hands on her shoulders to keep her at bay.

“I will make no contract, nor will I accept such a vaguely promised reward. I will help. But you must promise me two things.”

She raised her brows in amusement, eyes closing.

“What is it you need from me?”

Ignis straightened himself out, hands still on her shoulders. He dug his fingertips against her for a moment, struggling to find the words for what he had to say.

“My… my _lover._ He lost the use of his arm because of one of the forest guardians. If there is any way to fix him… I want that.”

Her eyes opened again, looking at him expectantly.

“It can be done. What is your other promise?”

He let go of her, fingers clinging to his bowstring as he looked towards the lake. His resolve came back as he watched the rippling water ignore the frost that threatened to keep it still.

“His sister… She was taken by the pond. If you have her… I want her back. If one must go in her place, I do not fear what is waiting. Let her return to him.”

The witch hummed quietly. His wishes were for others. His selflessness was admirable.

“Truthfully, I do not think I can fulfill your second request…” She watched as his grip tightened around his bow, raising a hand to dispel his frustration.

“You will find that your own power will have to be enough for that. With your strength, you just may get what you want.”

Ignis looked towards her, then at the lake again.

“…There… there is one more thing I would ask of you,” he murmured, taking his first step towards the water. The cold and damp started to filter into his boots, a shiver going through his body. Another step, he waded in deeper until it was at his knees.

“Should I perish… let him forget. Let his sins die with me and remove the burden from his shoulders. He does not need more tragedy to befall him.” Looking for the witch, he saw that he was alone in the lake. Cold fingers touched his shoulder. Ignis looked and saw her before him, in a far different form than before. She was ethereal, flesh blue and nearly completely revealed to him. She had wisps of wings, looking as if they were made of chiffon, flowing lightly like scarves. She touched his face with chilled fingertips, the water around them beginning to glow. A part of him found her to be beautiful, her empyrean features settling in a soft and sad expression.

“Young hunter, believe in yourself and your ability.”

Ignis fell into the water, the lake suddenly becoming as deep as an ocean.

* * *

He hadn’t worried when Ignis didn’t return. He had slept through the night, undisturbed and trying to gain back his strength. The morning light peeking through the frosted window urged him awake. The fire had long gone out, blackened logs cold and untouched since Ignis had taken care of it before he left. There was no sign of him around the cabin as Ravus tried to pull himself up. He groaned, throat dry as a desert.

“Pigeon?” he called out, feet touching the floor. He shivered, pulling the blanket with him over his shoulder. His vision was bleary, forehead warm as he tried to look around. The cabin remained as empty as it had been when he was asleep. His heart started to sink. If Ignis hadn’t returned, that could only mean that he was in trouble. He was not irresponsible enough to just leave without so much as a notice. Managing to stand, Ravus kept his blanket around his shoulders and slowly hobbled around the cabin. Not a single note left or any sign that he had returned through the night.

“Pigeon, are you here?” Ravus called again, opening the cabin door a crack to try and look outside. There were no footprints, just freshly fallen snow. He was alone.

“Ignis?!” His voice echoed louder in the trees as he started to walk outside, bare feet touching the cold, powdery snow. It felt like glass in his heels but paled in comparison to how heavy his heart felt. Ignis wasn’t there. He didn’t leave a single note. He hadn’t come back.

Had he left him? Had he been hurt?

Had his pigeon finally flown the coop and carried himself to better skies? Or had his wings been broken and he was Gods know where, suffering, or perhaps even dead?

Ravus shivered as the cold winter winds flew through him, blowing snow in his face. It felt like more glass, his skin getting flecked with cold shards. Rubbing his blanket over his face, he felt as if he was steaming. His whole body was hot, even in the frozen air. He was alone again, now in an even worse state than before. He could handle the crushing loneliness. He could handle the silence. He could look at his reflection and be okay with the tired and hollow face he saw.

What he couldn’t handle was the loss. The grief. The thought that Ignis was out there…

Ravus looked at the area around the cabin again. Not a soul had come through. There wasn’t a sound save for the wind rustling the empty branches. He realized he couldn’t just stand there and do nothing, even if he felt like the ground beneath him was moving in waves. He went back into the cabin, nearly collapsing as he shut the door behind him. He stopped himself on a chair next to the table, fingers digging into the wood as he gasped. He was in no condition to go anywhere. He wasn’t even sure he would even be able to get back to bed at this rate, let alone dress himself and leave.

Hobbling into their bed, he collapsed face-first into the mattress and took a moment to breathe. He wasn’t going to stay put and do nothing. He was going to leave and find Ignis, even if it killed him.

_TIP TIP TIP._

Rolling on to his back with a huff, Ravus heard the light tap against the window. Brushing his hair out of his face and resting the back of his hand against his forehead, he tried to look up towards the noise.

_TIP TIP TIP._

A raven pecked at the glass with its beak. It kept pecking, trying to get Ravus’s attention. It tapped again as he hauled himself into a sitting position. Looking towards the bird, he slowly raised the window, letting the cold chill into the cabin. The raven came in, ducking under the window and then hopping onto Ravus’s leg.

“What do you have to tell me?” he asked the bird, waving it off of him. It flew on to a chair before a puff of smoke enveloped it. Ravus shot up, feeling lightheaded as he reached his feet. In the chair sat a woman, hair black as night. He recognized her immediately as the witch.

“You!” He reached for his spear, only to have her touch his hand. Her chilled fingers touched his palm as he tried to bring his hand back. He hadn’t seen her stand, taken aback by her speed.

“Where is he?!”

She looked at him sadly, pressing his hand against his chest.

“He is doing what was asked of him.” The witch let go of his hand, motioning for him to sit down. He all but collapsed back into his bed, palm pressing into the mattress as he started up at her warily. She sat beside him, keeping herself as unobtrusive as possible.

“…Your lover is in the lake. He is alive. For how long, I do not know. But you must get there. He will need you more than he knows.”

Ravus gritted his teeth, grabbing her and slamming her back into the mattress. He pressed his forearm across her chest, keeping her pinned down as he hovered over her.

“What did you do to him?!” he barked, fear making itself known in his eyes. The witch didn’t move, looking at him with her sad and dark gaze.

“I told him of his fate.” She slowly set her hands against Ravus’s forearm, chilled touch ebbing a soft calm through his body. “If you want to see him survive, you will have to help, little princeling.”

Ravus backed off, taking his arm out of her grip. She left his bones feeling more like icicles than anything. He looked at his empty cabin as he sat back in his bed. Everything was dark, only the dim light of dawn breaking through the windows. He looked to the witch as she sat up, smoothing over her robes and hair. Her eyes were closed as she sat in thought.

“Much as I wish to be with him, I can barely stumble around in my current state. He would be dead before I could reach him like this,” Ravus admitted quietly. The witch nodded. She set her fingertips against his knee.

“I will leave you a parting gift. Search me out in three days’ time. I can promise nothing after that, but… three days will be enough.”

Before he could speak, she had simply vanished. He looked down at his hand, a small flask nestled in his palm between his fingers. There were no further instructions, but he was sure he knew what to do without it.

_You’d better be alive at the end of all this, pigeon._

* * *

Ignis didn’t know what to expect under the water. It was cold, but less so than he thought it would be. His body didn’t feel like ice, he could move freely without much hindrance, and everything looked... as if he were in a glass bowl. The sky seemed far away, dark trees making the floor of the lake look like night. He saw light through the cracks between leaves, the water making it wobble and wave around him. He held out his hand to look, the light slowly crawling up his arm and wiggling around. As he moved, he felt a slight slowness. It wasn’t wholly noticeable, but it was a problem nonetheless. Pulling out his bow, he nocked an arrow. Aiming towards a rock, he let go.

The arrow sailed, only to break off and float towards the bed of the lake. He reached for it, pulling it out of the mud and watching as bits of soil drifted gently back down.

“Your attacks won’t be as effective here.”

A soft voice cut through the quiet waves. Ignis turned around. A girl dressed in white stood there, blonde hair flowing with the water around them. She looked young, he would’ve guessed no older than in her teens.

“Are you another of the witch’s victims?” she asked, stepping closer. He put his arrow back in its quiver and settled his bow back on his shoulder with a nod. She came up to him, and he saw how thin and frail she truly was. The water distorted her looks just a bit, but up close, he could see she had been sickly before she came into the lake. He didn’t know much beyond what Ravus told him: that they’d had to leave their village and that she had been in poor health all the while.

“I am Ignis. I assume you are Lady Lunafreya?”

“Do you know me?”

“I… am close with your brother.”

Her eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed all the same.

“Tell me, is Ravus… is he dead?”

Gently, he set his hands on her shoulders. She trembled, her skin chilled from the water.

“He is alive, but ill. I do not know how his condition will fair until we get back. I came here to save the lake and to free you. The witch promised your safety if I could get you out of here.” Ignis looked around them. The underwater world around them looked mostly barren.

“How long have you been down here?” he asked, trying to get his bearings. She looked at her feet, setting her own hands on top of his.

“I don’t know anymore. I remember it being warm up there before I came here.” Her response was sheepish, like she was hiding something. Ignis let his hands fall off her shoulders and back to his bow.

“How have you stayed alive this whole time? Magic, I assume?”

“I... I think so? I do not know, I am afraid.”

“Where have you been staying?”

“There is a cave. The witch sometimes leaves me things, but I have not touched them.”

“Can you take me to the cave?”

Lunafreya bit her lip, looking diffident.

“There’s..”

He nodded solemnly.

“I am going to help him as best I can. It is why I am here. Take me to him.”

Traveling through the water was surreal. Ignis felt like he was swimming, weightless, but his feet still touched the ground. The soil shifted beneath him as he followed Lunafreya, their hands linked closely.

“How do you know my brother?” Lunafreya chimed, feeling how tense he was in her soft grip. He got even more tense, trying to find the right words. She picked up on it near immediately.

“I know that he prefers his lovers the same as I. It was... part of why we left.”

“I am… sorry that he couldn’t live freely in your village. If it is a comfort, he makes me very happy. I have watched him grow and we were stopping at nothing to get you back together.”

“Where did you say that he was? Why is he not here?”

“He fell sick. It’s winter on the topside. I left him to find us something to eat… we had gone through a horrible dry spell when the cold started coming. I stumbled upon the witch and she made a deal with me.”

“She is slippery as a snake and her tongue is just as forked.”

The disdain in Lunafreya’s voice was palpable, and he didn’t blame her. He didn’t trust the woman above the lake, but he could feel the truth in her words when she said he was their only hope.

“If she does not hold true to her word, I will make it so.”

His resolve didn’t waver, even as they had found the cave she had mentioned. It was bigger than he expected, leaving him unsure just how deep the lake truly was. Looking up, he saw that they weren’t in the forest anymore. The area around them had fallen dark, dim lights emitting from the cave.

“He’s… he’s in here.” Luna’s voice dropped to a whisper. Ignis held her hand tighter.

“What is he like?” he whispered back, stopping them before they went closer.

“He is hot… I can never get too close, it’s like a flame. And he just stares at me. I don’t like it… He has never done anything but he is always watching. He is big, as well… He towers over me, yes, but he is... he is inhuman. And his skin… He is pale and grey, and he is scarred… it’s like frostbite on half of his body. And he has horns, as if he were a goat. And his eyes are… they… they terrify me. They are as evil as they are red. It is like blood… I cannot bear to look at him for long. I feared he would have eaten me but he hasn’t, yet.”

She felt silly, looking at Ignis’s expression shift as she described him. He had no reason to disbelieve her; rather, he grew worried.

“Do you know if there is any corruption on him? Something thick and black, and very slimy like a slug.”

Luna took a moment to think. She had tried to avoid contact with the hulking man as much as possible.

“I... I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

He squeezed her hand.

“It will be alright. I’m going to come up with a plan, and we will get out of here and back to Ravus. I am sure he will be glad to have you back.”

* * *

Ravus held his spear tightly in his hands as he walked through the forest, the snow up to his knees. He still felt the edges of his fever, even after drinking the elixir that the witch had given him. Rubbing his forearm against his forehead, he exhaled shakily. His breaths escaped in clouds, the chilled air a stark contrast to how hot he felt. The lake wasn’t far, but he wasn’t sure he would make it. He looked back to see how far off the cabin was. He couldn’t see it anymore through the trees; the only thing visible were his tracks from the snow.

_”I have to keep going. I cannot leave them.”_

Jamming his spear hilt into the next bit of snow, he pulled himself through. His legs were numb from the cold and he couldn’t tell if he was sweating or if it was melted snow, but he trekked on. His resolve didn’t waver as he found himself getting closer to the lake. Pulling his scarf up over his face, he sighed. It was Luna’s, giving him a fond memory of her voice as he used it… _borrowed_ it from her. He hoped to give it back to her by the end of the day.

The snow started to dissipate as he got nearer and nearer. It was no longer up to his knees, and by the time he found the muddy ground, it was mere splotches upon the grass. Upon closer inspection of the ground, he saw that it wasn’t mud, but the black substance that had been on the bear months ago. The trees and grass had bits of it as well, dripping and melting snow. The air felt warmer, but decayed. He looked towards the lake, only to see it frozen solid.

He took a cautious step towards it, trying to gauge his next move.

“Your job is to remain here, Ravus.”

The witch’s voice made him jump as he looked over his shoulder.

“Ignis and Lunafreya are below. You have to keep this spot clear for their return.” She was in her true form, flesh as blue as ice and wings as soft as clouds. He looked upon her and saw that she was not of this world. Perhaps she was no witch, but instead a goddess. Whatever she was, he wasn’t sure, nor did he want to ask. All he knew was that he had to trust her now.

“How long must I hold out?” he asked, gripping his spear as he looked around the open area. She looked somber, glancing towards the iced-over water.

“As long as it takes. Whether you perish or survive is up to him.”

He nodded, carefully stepping onto the ice. It gave him more traction than he expected. The witch fluttered next to him, looking towards one of the forest clearings.

“I will aid you in this fight. Our fate is in their hands one way or another.” The beginnings of a flood came between the opening of the trees. Instead of water, it was the thick, black sludge that had infected the area. Ravus looked towards the oncoming flood and saw that it was more than just the sludge, but animals stampeding with it. Decaying and wounded, they carried the rot with them as they came towards the lake. He saw stags and rabbits, and behind them, a bear.

“Are you afraid?” he asked as they looked upon the oncoming plague. The witch let out a soft laugh.

“Fear is not an option.”

Her resolve was strong and absolute, giving him the final push he needed to steel himself. Ravus took a deep breath, spear gripped tightly in his fingers. He felt his fever in his bones, but it didn’t stop him. In fact, it kept him more on his toes. He had to be more watchful of every move he made to ensure it wouldn’t be his last.

The stampede came closer. The corrupted sludge started to touch the ice, hissing as if it were a kettle over a fire. The animals followed soon after, their brays and bellows piercing the all but silent forest. He couldn’t hear anything after a moment, just the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. His body moved on its own, sidestepping out of the way of hooves and feet as he stuck his spear into whatever was closest. Behind him, the witch did her best to slow the crashing beasts that seemed to suddenly be an endless drove. She froze their ankles and paws, trying to stick them to the ice, only to have the tar melt it away.

Ravus pulled on his spear, trying to work it out of a buck that had tried to knock him away with his antlers. It had been a clean kill for the most part, but the sludge inside it didn’t want to relinquish his weapon. Pulling and twisting with his only good hand, he tried to use what was left of his strength to get it.

_”Come on, they’re counting on you...”_

Setting his foot on the buck’s side, he tried to leverage himself above it to pull more. The sludge started leaking out of the buck from its wound and mouth, beginning to pool around its corpse. Ravus gave another pull, feeling his spear start to loosen out of it. More tar escaped the buck’s wounds as he did so, starting to drip down to his feet.

_”Fuck.”_

He pulled again, the sound of flesh ripping filling his ears as he did so. The buck’s ribcage opened as he pulled his spear out, the serrated edge covered in sludge and blood. His boots were covered in the muck, and he felt the heat ebbing into him.

_”No time to waste… Keep the area clear…”_

He shifted his focus back to the animals that hadn’t stopped coming. The witch had deterred a few and slain her fair share, but they still had a ways to go.

“Are you still with me?” she called out, sending a barrage of icicles into a small colony of rabbits that had charged at her, carrying their sickness with them. They were all dead a moment later. Ravus caught up next to her, knocking away some of the carcasses with his foot as he did so.

“It looks like they’re slowing down,” he called back, spear grazing a quick fox. He didn’t take his eyes off it, catching it with the hilt of the spear as it leapt at him. Once it was incapacitated, he stabbed it with the tip. The witch looked towards him and saw the scum upon his boot. With a frown, she shot ice against him, attempting to get it off.

“Watch that spot, princeling. Should it grow, you will have more on your plate than these creatures.”

He couldn’t give her much of a response, his focus back on the animals trying to herd around him. Deer and bucks, sharp antlers and rough hooves, all coming at him and trying to impale or kick him. He knocked as many back as he could, using his spear sideways to make a barrier between him and the particularly enraged buck trying to skewer him. He pushed with as much of his weight as he could, struggling without the use of his other arm. Digging his feet into the ground, it only served to make him slide, the ice slippery underneath his heels. Gritting his teeth, Ravus pushed against it with all of his strength. The animal brayed at him, huffing and snarling as it kept shoving, antlers clacking against the wooden hilt.

A chill ran down his spine and suddenly he found himself with the strength to push back, this time sending the beast away. The witch was beside him, pushing with him. When the buck tried to regain its bearings, she froze its legs to the lake. Ravus finished it off, managing to get the spear out in one fell swoop. He wasn’t ready to give up. Taking a breath, he surveyed the area around them. The animals had stopped pouring in, but what they had left was anything but simple.

“Ravus!”

He looked to where the witch called out, her urgency making his heart race.

A moose had started coming through the forest. It brayed and yowled, thick antlers knocking down anything in its path. It was dashing right in his direction.

_Naturally…_

He brandished the spear, ready for the beast.

* * *

Ignis’s plan hadn’t gone as smoothly as he had hoped. Ifrit, the large devil himself, had Lunafreya in his grasp. Black sludge oozed out of his wrist, soaking her clothes and starting to stain her skin. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, only to have him constrict his arm tighter around her. She wheezed, trying to kick herself free.

“Luna, just hold on!” His call wasn’t as reassuring as he wanted it to be, nor was the situation looking any better. Ifrit towered bigger than he realized, able to hold Luna with a single arm. He was covered in corruption and burns, his body looking as ragged as the bear had been those months ago. The water made it difficult to get a good look at his face, the corruption flowing around him and hiding his features. All Ignis could see were the giant horns on his head and his glowing sanguine eyes. In all his years, he had never felt such malice from a single stare. He felt as if one wrong move would be their end. Ignis didn’t need that to remind him that it was true.

His weightlessness was a struggle. He couldn’t find solid ground to dig into, his feet shifting under the soil as it moved with him. His bow was useless, the water keeping his arrows from doing any harm. All he had was a dagger. His odds were slim, even more so as he tried to get out of the way of Ifrit’s feet, trying to dissuade him from getting closer. With every swipe of his foot, the water he touched seemed to boil. It bubbled and dissipated, sending waves through Ignis.

Ignis moved as quickly as he could manage, pushing himself off the shifting soil to start swimming. His idea worked, allowing him to start gaining ground. He was able to move quicker out of Ifrit’s way, dodging his hot swipes to recenter himself on uneven terrain. He wasn’t sure how to get closer, trying to work quickly to get Luna out of his grasp. She tried still to escape, pulling against his sticky arm to no avail. Her hands were covered in sludge, stuck against his arm as it oozed more. She pushed against him, keeping her face away from the sludge.

“Ignis, please!”

He managed to move himself around Ifrit, looking at his back and trying to quickly get his next step in. The horns on his head were still, hair moving like seaweed in the currents he created. Ignis swam close, trying to take hold of one of the many horns protruding from his skull. It burned his hand as he grasped the ridged bone. Gritting his teeth, Ignis reached instead for the giant’s hair, yanking it to try and distract him.

It had worked, somewhat. The giant reached for him, unable to see where he was. A wide hand touched over his head, trying to pluck Ignis out. His grip on Lunafreya loosened, distracted by Ignis’s ploys. She managed to wiggle away, pushing his fingers off her ribcage and slipping out of his grasp. She floated slowly to the shifting ground, trying to swim out of his range. Black tar writhed around his thigh, slowly creeping up towards his side. The tar from his wrist hadn’t stopped oozing either, coming out of him as if he had cut himself and let blood flow freely from his veins.

She tried to look closer, watching as the corruption seemed to _breathe_ rather than float idly in the water. Pushing herself back up, Luna swam around Ifrit’s thrashing as he tried to throw Ignis off his head.

“Ignis, let go of him!” she called to the other, hoping they could regroup. Ignis took her suggestion, just barely dodging the swatting palms coming for him, along with the creeping sludge that had started to make it’s way up Ifrit’s fingers. He swam close to her, urging her to stay behind him.

“I will admit, I’m unsure how to handle this… he seems impossible, almost.” Ignis was nearly breathless as Ifrit calmed himself down. The giant man didn’t move, watching them as carefully as they watched him. Luna pursed her lips, watching the tar crawl up his hand.

“The corruption is alive… I think if we could get it off him somehow, we could—”

Their thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash above. Even so deep under the lake, they heard ice shatter like glass. Light started to filter in to even the deepest part of the water. A creature fell in, its limbs thrashing about trying to find purchase on the ice of the lake, only to cause more breakage. None of them below could make it out, only that it was upset and that it was big.

“Swim to the surface, Lunafreya! Go and don’t look back! Ravus will be waiting for you up there!” Ignis started pushing her up towards the light, urging her to go as quickly as she could.

“But what about you?! I can’t leav—”

“Go! I’ll follow you!”

She started to go on her own, looking back at him as he swam towards Ifrit.

“Don’t look back!” he called again, urging her to go on. He watched as she took one more look at him before swimming up towards the crack in the ice. With her out of the way, he could safely put all of his attention back on Ifrit. The towering man seemed to be just as thoughtful as he was, the frozen lake’s opening leaving him wondering what to do. Ignis watched the corruption on his body as he stood there. It was as Luna said, it was alive. It pulsed and breathed and moved across his frostbitten flesh, looking as if it were sucking the life out of him. Ignis cautiously settled himself on to the ground, sand shifting under his feet.

“I have been sent by the witch above… she asked me to help you..” He took a cautious step forward, hands open in front of himself. Ifrit let out an inhuman growl. Ignis stepped back again.

“She wants you back, your lover. I promised I would help.” The giant glared at him, his hand beginning to sizzle as the tar boiled the water around them. Ignis felt the heat coming closer, taking another slow step back. He looked up towards the light, seeing Luna reach the edge of the water. He saw hands reaching for her, pulling her out. He settled his gaze back on Ifrit. The cloudy waters around his face had disappeared in their scuffle, and now he was face to face with an angry, demonic man. Every part of him seemed to be filled with malice and hatred, the tar manifesting out of gaping wounds on his body.

_Perhaps if I lead him to the surface… Then I wouldn’t be alone… Will he even follow me?_

Ignis looked at his incredibly slim choices. Be trapped in the lake with Ifrit until he died, or make an attempt to get out. He pushed himself off the ground again, beginning to swim for the light. He went closer to Ifrit, ignoring the man’s growls and swipes at him.

“You will have to come with me if you want to catch me. I am going to the surface whether you try to keep me here or not.” He didn’t wait for another swipe against him, instead, began to go up towards the cracked ice. The water grew colder as he got away from Ifrit, the winter air above keeping everything chilled down below. As he started to move up, he looked back towards Ifrit. The giant man seemed entranced by how gracefully he moved, even just trying to get away from him. Before Ignis could call for him again, Ifrit launched himself off the ground and began to move through the water like an arrow at full speed. Ignis felt a hand grab him, Ifrit pulling him along as he shot for the surface.

* * *

“The moose, look out for the moose!” Ravus pulled Lunafreya close, pulling his cloak off to wrap it around her as she shivered. Her teeth chattered and every part of her was frozen. She tried to move on the ice, unused to being on solid ground after being in the free-floating water for so long. The witch managed to get out of the moose’s way, trying to freeze it in place so Ravus could tend to his sister.

“R-Rav…Ravu-s-s..” Luna mumbled, trembling fingers gripping the warm fabric draped over her shoulders. He hushed her, trying to guide her to more solid ground in case the ice gave out.

“Get off the ice, Luna. Go to the cabin, you’ll be safe there, dove,” he murmured, watching in case the moose came at them. He tried to push her along faster, the ice around the lake getting more and more delicate. The witch couldn’t re-freeze it, knowing that Ignis was coming back to the surface. The animals around them had all nearly stopped. The only thing left the raging moose. It was getting tired, breaking the witch’s traps she left for it. It huffed and brayed, breaths coming out hot and cloudy in the frozen air. It was only a matter of time before it turned its sights on them.

“I-Ig-Ignis, h-h-he’s.. he s-s-said..”

“Just go, Luna, I know.”

“N-No, list-listen t-t-to me… H-He sss..said.. he was com-coming… but I did-didn’t see him follow m-me out.”

The ice beneath them began to crack more. Ravus looked below their feet and saw a figure moving towards the surface. The witch noticed it as well.

Ravus grabbed Lunafreya by the wrist, breaking into a sprint to get off the ice. She followed him, stumbling and slipping, yelping as the cold water splashed her. Ravus pulled her harder, grip tightening around her wrist. It was the closest to pain that she could feel, her freezing body unable to process much else.

“Look out!” the witch called to them, the ice finally giving way as they reached the muddy shore. Pulling Luna close, Ravus tried to shield her from the shards of ice that sprayed in all directions. The witch raised her own wall of ice over them, the shards wedging into it rather than inside of their bodies like arrowheads. Freezing water hit the wall and ground, splashing up against their legs. Keeping his hand over Luna’s head, Ravus slowly peeked around the corner. The sheet of ice over the lake had been shattered completely, a giant of a man climbing on to the opposite shore. He had Ignis in his grip, dropping him onto the mud. Ignis appeared to be alive, more or less. Confused and cold, but alive. The giant man collapsed next to him, Ravus noting the corruption all over his body.

“I found Ignis,” he murmured, settling his hand against Luna’s spine. She pulled his cloak closer to herself, shaky and cloudy breaths escaping as she peeked around the ice wall. Ifrit seemed to be struggling to breathe as Ignis hauled himself to his feet, stepping back from him to get a look.

“W-We have t-t-to go over th-there…”

Ravus looked at the shores between them and Ignis. All the corruption on the ground seemed to hiss from the ice, retracting into itself to escape the broken shards everywhere. The witch fluttered over to him and Luna, melting the wall she had put up for them.

“It’s not over yet,” she said, a somber expression holding her features. Ravus nodded slowly. Before they moved, the witch stopped him.

“I have but one final request of you, princeling.”

Ravus held on to Luna’s hand, his sister trembling in his grip. His heart sunk in his chest as he looked at the witch.

“What will you ask of me? I have nothing left to give that hasn’t been lost already.”

Her face moved into one of a sad smile. She lightly tapped his splinted arm, magic and energy flowing through the dead limb.

“First I offer you a parting gift, for I fear this will be our last encounter… Ignis asked me to heal you if he succeeded. I am going to fulfill his wish… for my request, there is but one thing you can still give.”

A few tears escaped her eyes as she looked between him and Ifrit across the lake.

“Show him kindness. Compassion does not come easy for many, especially when it is easy to deny someone based on their actions… But I am asking this final request of you. Show him kindness. If… it is possible, I am asking you to spare him.”

Ravus flexed his fingers, his left hand beginning to get feeling in it again. It warmed and tingled, nerves regaining their life. His knuckles cracked and crunched, arm coming alive once more. He looked towards the witch again.

“I will do whatever it takes.”

* * *

Ignis quickly circled around Ifrit, trying to catch his breath as he spat water out of his mouth. His entire body felt like he was encased in frost and ice, trembling and shivering as he tried to survey the area around himself and Ifrit. The man seemed to be struggling as much as him, collapsed on the ground and gasping for breath. The corruption around his body hissed and boiled, melting the ice next to him. His gasps turned to wheezes as the black sludge climbed up his chest and went towards his mouth.

“I am going to pull the corruption off you, Ifrit.” Ignis wasn’t so sure it was a good idea, but he realized it was his only option. Climbing on top of the man, Ignis felt him tense up. He was as cold as the ground, if not more. The frostbite on his body was agitated, sludge oozing out of him from the decayed skin. Ignis pursed his lips, starting near Ifrit’s face. Brushing his sleeve against the other’s mouth, he tried to push the corruption away from him, flinging it onto the ground. It hissed as it touched the frozen mud, slowly dissipating away into nothing.

“I apologize if it causes you pain, but I made a promise I intend to fulfill.”

He brushed more and more of the sludge away, feeling it burn against Ifrit and himself, the giant groaning in pain as he tried to clear his mouth. Ignis hissed when the hot mire touched his flesh, finally eating through his sleeve.

“Need some help, pigeon?”

Ignis turned to the voice calling for him, Ravus and Lunafreya coming up quickly. He took note that Ravus had movement on both arms, both resting on his hips once they settled in their approach. Luna had finally stopped trembling, her scarf wrapped around her neck and Ravus’s cloak close around her body.

“Get what you can off him… get it to the ground. It’s destroying itself on the cold mud,” Ignis ordered, scooping more off Ifrit’s face. Ravus nodded, already eying spots to start working on. Luna stood back for a moment, afraid to approach the giant man.

“Is... is he alive?” she asked, watching as Ravus tried to clear off his oozing leg. He nodded, just as Ifrit rumbled at the pain. As they pulled corruption off him, it peeled his skin away, revealing red and raw splotches on his body.

“This isn’t working as well as I had hoped,” Ignis said, using his other arm to give one final swipe against the man’s mouth. Ravus brushed his left arm against Ifrit’s leg, the sludge trying to overtake him before he threw it to the ground. It hissed and bubbled, slowly turning into vapor and disappearing.

“We don’t have many other options,” he grumbled, feeling it burn through his bandaged arm. Internally, he laughed at himself. To get use of his arm back after so long, only for him to most likely lose it trying to save the monster that took his sister away. Life and fate worked in mysterious ways, if nothing else.

“Allow me to assist.”

The soft voice of the witch pulled the attention of all three of them, Ifrit still groaning in pain under their touch.

“Are you sure?” Ravus asked, shaking out his hand to get residual muck off. She nodded.

“It should have been my responsibility from the beginning… to cure him. To see the three of you trying to save him for me after I had been so foolish… If anyone should be doing this, it falls on my shoulders.”

She urged Ignis to get on the ground, fluttering just above Ifrit’s face.

“The three of you,” she hummed, looking at the small group as they scrunched together, “are free to leave. I would _prefer_ it, if I am being honest. You have fulfilled your promises to me to the best of your abilities. What happens now is for myself to handle.”

Ravus and Ignis shared a glance with each other, finally reunited after what seemed like a lifetime apart rather than mere days. Luna stood next to her brother, feeling unsure of herself and what their next step was. Ravus set his arm around her shoulders, letting out a deep sigh. Ignis linked their fingers together, knowing exactly what they were about to do.

“My lady,” he began, feeling Ravus tighten his grip around his palm, “I have not completely fulfilled my oath to you. You asked of me to save your lover, and I have not yet finished my job. You said yourself that I would be able to do it. I would prefer to see a task beset to me by a… witch… be complete before leaving.”

Ravus nodded in agreement.

“I would also see this through. You have returned my arm and I wish to pay back the favour.”

He turned to Lunafreya, letting go of Ignis to set both palms upon her shoulders.

“This is not something we will ask of you, dove. You have been through more than enough… it would be unfair to demand more of you. This will be our fight. If you go back to the cabin, you will be safe.”

Her face formed into a soft pout as she smacked his hand off her. Ravus’s brows rose nearly off his face.

“If you perish here, then I will be next! I’m staying to help! It ends here for all of us, one way or another!”

“Lunafr-”

“Do not _Lunafreya_ me! We do this together or we do not do it at all!”

Ravus was taken aback by the fire inside her. Never in his years had he seen her so lively and ready. He looked towards Ignis, who couldn’t help but offer a smile.

“It is settled.”

They looked towards the witch, whose face showed the slightest hint of hope.

“It is settled,” she repeated back.

The three on the ground immediately began to survey Ifrit, going to where he was most hurt. Ignis climbed back on to his chest next to the witch.

“Freezing it is effective,” he said, pointing out the spots on the ground where goo had dissipated from the ice. She nodded.

“If I can get it all at once, he may be free of this yet. I have tried for so long to try and fix it myself but it had never been effective. I’m unsure why it may work now, but I will not look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Ignis looked at Ifrit, his face contorted in pain as he struggled to breathe.

“I’ll hold his horns… Ravus can hold down his leg. If Luna can, she could hold his arm for you.”

The witch looked over Ifrit’s body, his wounds oozing more sludge. Ravus and Lunafreya moved to where Ignis had directed them. He slid off the giant’s shoulder, landing his feet with ease. The witch looked on as they all took their positions, holding down Ifrit’s limbs. She looked back to her love, his agonized face and laboured breaths stirring pain in her heart. Exhaling softly, she frosted his hair out of his face. His furrowed brows seemed to relax, if only slightly.

“It will be over soon, I promise.”

Flitting above him, she took another deep breath.

“Everyone… be ready. Hold on for as long as you can. Try to not let go unless you think you’re in danger. Do no more than what you have the strength for.”

Her hands shone blue, frost coating her fingertips. The air around them began to freeze over, the wind picking up and biting at their flesh. Ignis felt the tip of his nose begin to numb, the bitter cold going through his bones. He didn’t let it deter him, grabbing on to Ifrit’s massive horns. They didn’t feel as hot as before; rather, they were nearly like icicles.

The air became more and more frigid, Ignis finding it hard to breathe. His lungs felt like they were filled with shards of glass, his breathing becoming ragged. His fingers ached as he gripped Ifrit’s horns, waiting for things to get worse.

He couldn’t have imagined what happened next within his wildest dreams.

Ifrit began to yell, his voice roaring with pain. It wasn’t that of a man, it sounded like an animal. As if it had been a hunt gone wrong. He roared and began to thrash, trying to lift his head and throw Ignis off. His roars shook the ground and the trees, any other noises drowned out. Ignis felt it deep inside him, the pain and the fear as he was forced into a helpless position to simply take it. Ravus’s shouts were like a hum, unable to be parsed through the commotion. Ignis dug his heels into the mud, holding tightly to the man’s head. The witch called out, but he couldn’t make it out. All he knew was his place, at the literal head of Ifrit, to keep him as complacent as possible.

As quickly as it had started, it had ended. The roars ceased, the forest fell silent, and not a single soul let out a breath. Ifrit’s body fell limp against the ground. The frozen air began to warm up, the witch coming to the ground next to him. She set a shaky palm against Ignis’s hand.

“Take your family and go,” she whispered. She refused to meet his eyes. Ignis didn’t fight her, letting go of Ifrit’s horns. Anything he wanted to say was caught on his tongue, unable to get the words out. He lightly touched her hand before going to Ravus and Luna.

“Let’s go,” he said, tone soft and broken. Neither of them spoke, simply following along after him.

* * *

The cold chill of winter left, spring taking its place and thawing the land. The cabin had become more cramped, but remained comfortable. Lunafreya had settled once more with her brother, as well as growing to love Ignis just the same. They had all grown closer, the threads of their fates entwined on the same tapestry after what felt like eons.

Ravus returned from the forest late that day, a couple of hares thrown over his shoulder for their evening meal.

“I’ve returned to the nest,” he called, seeing no sign of Lunafreya or Ignis outside. Stepping into the cabin, he nearly froze.

“Welcome home,” a familiar voice said, from his table. A woman with black hair sat in front of his fireplace. A man beside her, scowling as if his life depended on it. Lunafreya and Ignis sat comfortably on the edge of the bed, smiling as wide as they could manage.

“It’s good to see you again, my little princeling.”


	2. Art.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Art for the fic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please give all your love to the amazing Crow over at Crowrynart on twitter!! Click through the image to get to their twitter!

[ ](https://twitter.com/crowrynart)


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